Bandwidth for streaming: how much do I need?
“How much upload bandwidth do I need to live stream?” is a
common question addressed by our Support department. It’s
also an important question. If you don’t have enough
bandwidth for streaming out, then viewers will be unable to
view your content and your live stream won’t be successful.
So how much streaming upload bandwidth do you actually need to ensure a successful
live broadcast? The answer is… it depends! Understanding factors such as stream
quality, encoding settings, and other conditions are essential to configuring a worry-
free and reliable live broadcast.
What is bandwidth? Streaming upload
bandwidth in a nutshell
When streaming out to the Internet, you are consuming upload bandwidth. Examples
of uploading include attaching a file to an e-mail, saving a file to Cloud storage, or
publishing a live stream. As with download bandwidth, upload bandwidth has a set rate
(i.e. “5 Mb/s up”) as dictated by your internet service provider (ISP). Download
bandwidth limits are also generally higher than upload limits (e.g. “15 Mb/s down and 5
Mb/s up”). It is essential to know your network’s upload speed because this rate
enables (and also limits) the quality of your outgoing streams.
Encode your stream to fit your network
Streamed content needs to be encoded. Video (and to a lesser extent, audio) content
that is not compressed consumes far too much upload bandwidth to support a reliable
broadcast for viewers. Encoding your content is done with a small program, called
a codec, using either software (such as free open-source solution, OBS Studio) or
hardware (like “all-in-one” live production mixer, Pearl-2). The goal of encoding is to
digitize and compress your video and audio content to a bandwidth-friendly file size
without sacrificing quality.
A stream’s video and audio data processed over a period of time is called bit rate.
Higher bit rates generally translate into higher quality video and audio. If your stream’s
bit rate is too high relative to your upload bandwidth however, then your live stream
will be unreliable for viewers. For example, a stream with a 6 Mb/s bit rate doesn’t work
on a network with a 5 Mb/s upload bandwidth limit.
It’s important to have your selected bit rate roughly match the resolution (i.e. SD, HD,
Full HD, etc) you’ve chosen to publish. If your program’s bit rate doesn’t agree with your
frame size, the quality of the stream is reduced until the configured bit rate value is
met—usually resulting in dropped frames and poorly encoded visuals. Naturally, the
required network bandwidth for 4K streaming will be higher than that for 1080p
streaming.
If you have specific resolution in mind for your live stream, you can consult Netflix’s
Internet Speed Recommendations page. While the list below is intended for
Netflix viewers (so viewers can confirm they have the required download speed to
watch a stream), you can nonetheless use the information provided as a ballpark
estimate of the bit rates required for each popular resolution. (Note: these values are
simply recommendations—they are not necessarily industry standard!)
Above are the general required bandwidth for streaming guidelines. For example, the minimum required upload bandwidth for 1080p
streaming is 5 Mbps, while the minimum 4K streaming bandwidth is around 25 Mbps.
Considerations for live streaming success
It’s simple math to realize that if you have 5 Mb/s of upload bandwidth, your stream
bitrate should be less than 5 Mb/s. But just how much less? Bandwidth limit is only part
of the story! You’ll need to consider some additional factors to ensure the success of
your live stream.
1. Always have some extra upload bandwidth available
Ensure you always have enough bandwidth for streaming your broadcast—plus more.
This extra “headroom” acts as a buffer to account for any changes to your network.
Upload bandwidth can be affected by all forms of user activity on your network, such
as Internet uploads, VOiP communication, or gaming.
Use the simple formula below to estimate the required bandwidth for streaming:
We recommend to always have approximately 1.5x your stream’s bit rate available to
account for these possible network fluctuations. For example, if your live stream has a
bit rate of 5 Mb/s, then ensure you have at least 7.5 Mb/s total upload bandwidth
available to ensure a reliable live stream.
You may not need all of the calculated overhead bandwidth for a truly stable network,
but it’s always best to be on the safe side and have too much rather than too little!
Note that our “1.5x rule” applies to most live streaming situations—except for when
streaming out at a relatively low quality (i.e. less than standard definition). Since your
total outgoing bit rate is so low, multiplying by a factor of 1.5 likely won’t provide
enough headroom to protect against any unplanned upload activity on your network.
In these cases, we recommend you allocate some extra bandwidth just to be safe!
2. Consider your network type
There are many different kinds of Internet connectivity, such as DSL, cable,
satellite, cellular data, and more. Each of these options has varying levels of
download/upload speed capability and network reliability that should be considered
before attempting a live broadcast. For example, DSL tends to have lower maximum
upload bandwidth which may limit the bit rate, and therefore quality, of your published
stream. Or maybe you live in a rural area and have a satellite connection? In which case
it would be wise to consider possible obstructive weather conditions before publishing
your stream.
3. Consider ISP upload speeds and data caps
Many ISP’s advertise upload and download bandwidth in terms of a maximum speed.
For example an Internet package might be advertised as “Up to 10 Mb/s up and 30
Mb/s down!”. This particular “up to” phrasing is used because Internet speeds can vary.
If using a cable network, for example, you’re sharing Internet with other cable users
within a geographical area, so your bandwidth may slow during “peak” periods of
Internet activity during the day.
Some ISP also have bandwidth usage maximums—so be aware your live stream
doesn’t go beyond your monthly upload cap or you may be charged additional fees.
Not sure of your upload speed offhand? There are plenty of free Internet speed tests
online you can use, such as the Google Fiber speed test.
4. Ensure you have additional bandwidth if streaming multiple
programs
Multi-streaming is an increasingly popular live streaming strategy that involves
publishing your broadcast to more than one content distribution network (CDN)
platform simultaneously. Multi-encoding, on the other hand, is a similar technique that
involves streaming the same program to the same CDN at different bitrates. Multi-
streaming allows live streams to reach a greater audience while multi-encoding helps
to ensure accessibility of your live to viewers of all levels of download bandwidth.
If using these techniques, it’s essential to consider that each additional program you
publish adds to your total outgoing bit rate and therefore requires additional
upload bandwidth availability.
The final word
As you can see, the required bandwidth for streaming for a reliable live broadcast
depends on a variety of factors. While there is no “one size fits all” configuration, rest
assured that with the right tweaking you can publish a successful and reliable live
stream regardless of your network.
And remember—as a general rule of thumb, we recommend your streaming upload
bandwidth be at least 1.5x the combined bit rate of all your streamed programs (when
streaming in SD or above). Happy streaming!
Streaming software system
requirements:
If you’re using live streaming software on your computer, you’ll need to consider each
software’s system requirements. Minimum requirements are the lowest settings at
which the platform will technically run, but you’ll need additional resources if your
computer has other applications and processes running in the background. Our
recommendation is to always go a few notches higher than minimum.
Ideally, we suggest using hardware to offset the encoding processing from your
computer. For smaller live productions using streaming software, you can use a plug
and play AV.io 4K capture card to bring in and help encode your HD sources. Or if you
need to stream a single HDMI source to YouTube or Facebook, you can use a
dedicated Webcaster X2 encoder.
For larger live productions, we recommend using a dedicated all-in-one live production
appliance, such as Pearl-2, which contains everything you need to create engaging and
professional-quality live productions in resolutions up to 4K.
